Directing

UNIT- 5
Contents
•Directing
•Nature of Directing function
•Principles
•Importance of Effective Direction
•Motivating people at work
•Early motivational theories, Leadership and change
•Effective Communication skills for directing
•Barriers of communication.
Directing
• Directing refers to a process or technique of instructing,
guiding, inspiring, counselling, overseeing and leading people
towards the accomplishment of organizational goals. It is a
continuous managerial process that goes on throughout the life
of the organization.
• Through directing, a superior conveys and motivates his
subordinates in the organization to work in the desired way to
achieve organizational objectives. Without direction,
other managerial functions like planning, organizing, and
staffing becomes ineffective.
Concept, Meaning & Definition
• Directing initiates action and it is from here actual work starts.
Direction is said to be consisting of human factors. In simple words, it
can be described as providing instructions, guidance to workers in
doing work. In field of management, direction is said to be all those
activities which are designed to encourage the subordinates to work
effectively and efficiently.
• “Directing consists of process or technique by which instruction can
be issued and operations can be carried out as originally planned”
Therefore, Directing is the function of guiding, inspiring, overseeing
and instructing people towards accomplishment of organizational
goals.
Elements of Direction
• Direction has following elements:

• Supervision
• Motivation
• Leadership
• Communication

(i) Supervision- Implies overseeing the work of subordinates by their superiors. It is the act of watching &
directing work & workers.

(ii) Motivation- Means inspiring, stimulating or encouraging the sub-ordinates with zeal to work. Positive,
negative, monetary, non-monetary incentives may be used for this purpose.

(iii) Leadership- may be defined as a process by which manager guides and influences the work of
subordinates in desired direction.

(iv) Communications- is the process of passing information, experience, opinion etc from one person to
another. It is a bridge of understanding.
Characteristics of Direction
1. Pervasive Function - Directing is required at all levels of
organization. Every manager provides guidance and inspiration to his
subordinates.

2. Continuous Activity - Direction is a continuous activity as it

continuous throughout the life of organization.

3. Human Factor - Directing function is related to subordinates and

therefore it is related to human factor. Since human factor is complex
and behaviour is unpredictable, direction function becomes important.
Characteristics of Direction
•
4. Creative Activity - Direction function helps in converting plans into
performance. Without this function, people become inactive and physical resources
are meaningless.

5. Executive Function - Direction function is carried out by all managers and

executives at all levels throughout the working of an enterprise, a subordinate
receives instructions from his superior only.

6. Delegate Function - Direction is supposed to be a function dealing with human

beings. Human behaviour is unpredictable by nature and conditioning the people’s
behaviour towards the goals of the enterprise is what the executive does in this
function. Therefore, it is termed as having delicacy in it to tackle human behaviour.
Nature and Characteristics of Directing
1.Element of Management
2. Continuing Function
3. Pervasive Function
4. Creative Function
5. Linking function
6. Management of Human factor
Principles of Effective Direction in
Management
1. Principles of Harmony of objectives
2. Principles of Scalar chain
3. Principles of Unity of command
4. Principles of Unity of Direction
5. Principles of Effective communication
6. Principles of Direct Supervision
7. Principles of Effective Leadership
8. Principles of Effective follow up
Ref: https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/management/principles-for-achieving-
effective-direction-in-management-8-principles/25736
Concept of Motive
• A motive is something that causes us to act or behave in
order to reach a a goal or desired endpoint.
• It comes from the latin word that means 'moving'. A motive
is the reason WHY you do something.

For example, a sales person works hard to get extra cash

incentives, a motive for regular exercise is for better health
and weight loss.
• In criminology a motive is the reason an individual
committed a crime or offense. For instance, the motive for
someone who robbed a store is most likely that they
needed money.
Concept of Motives and applied motivation
•Motivation is a reason for actions, willingness, and goals.
Motivation is derived from the word motive, or a need that
requires satisfaction. These needs, wants or desires may be
acquired through influence of culture, society, lifestyle, or may
be generally innate.
•An individual's motivation may be inspired by outside forces
(extrinsic motivation) or by themselves (intrinsic motivation).
•Motivation has been considered one of the most important
reasons to move forward.
•Motivation results from the interaction of
both conscious and unconscious factors.
•Mastering motivation to allow sustained and deliberate
practice is central to high levels of achievement, e.g. in elite
sport, medicine, or music. 
.
Concept of Motives and applied motivation
• In organizations motivation factors have been used to increase
the performers of the workers by increasing their salaries and
allowances which in turn increases the level of production and
then raises the living standard.
Concept of Motives and applied motivation
The motivation process progresses through a series of discrete
steps. Needs/motives are the starting point of motivation.
• An unsatisfied need creates tension that stimulates drives within
the individual.
• These drives generate a search behavior to achieve particular
goals that will satisfy the need and lead to a reduction of
tension.
Concept of Motives and applied motivation
• The action taken by the individual will lead to the reward/goal
which satisfies the need and reduces tension.
• No matter which theory of motivation the manager is following,
the process is always similar.
• The motivation process is presented in the following diagram;
Concept of Motives and applied motivation
5 Steps of Motivation Process

1.Identify Unsatisfied Needs and Motives. (Salary hike, Bonus,

Promotion, Power & Authority)
2.Tension.
3.Action to satisfy needs and motives.
4.Goal accomplishment.
5.Feedback.
Relation between Performance and
Motivation
Motivation Process
• Motivation is one of the forces that lead to performance. 

• Motivation is defined as the desire to achieve a goal or a certain

performance level, leading to goal-directed behavior.
• When we refer to someone as being motivated, we mean that the person is
trying hard to accomplish a certain task.
• Motivation is clearly important if someone is to perform well; however, it is
not sufficient. 
• Ability—or having the skills and knowledge required to perform the job—is
also important and is sometimes the key determinant of effectiveness.
• Finally, environmental factors such as having the resources, information,
and support one needs to perform well are critical to determine performance.
Motivation
• Motivation is a state-of-mind, filled with energy and enthusiasm, which
drives a person to work in a certain ways.
• Motivation is a force which pushes a person to work with high level of
commitment and focus even if things are against him. Motivation translates
into a certain kind of human behaviour. 
• It is important to ensure that every team member in an organization is
motivated.
• Various psychologists have studied human behaviour and have formalized
their findings in the form various motivation theories. These motivation
theories provide great understanding on how people behave and what
motivates them.
Motivation
• In the work goal context the psychological factors
stimulating the people’s behaviour can be -
• Desire for money
• Achieve success / Career Growth
• Recognition
• Power and Authority
• Status
Motivational Theories
Difference between Content and Process
theories
• Content theories focus on WHAT, while process
theories focus on HOW human behaviour is motivated.
• Difference between content theory and process theory is
that, content theory emphasizes on the reasons for changing
the human needs frequently 
• while process theory focuses on the psychological processes
which affect motivation, with regard to the expectations, goals,
and perceptions of equity
Maslow’s Need Hierarchy theory
Abraham H. Maslow, an American psychologist has developed a
classification of human needs known as Hierarchy of Needs. According to
him human needs can be classified into five. From the bottom of
the hierarchy  to upwards, the needs are:
• Physiological / Bodily Needs
• Safety / Security Needs
• Love and belongingness / Social Needs
• Esteem Needs ( Need for Self dignity and respect)
• Self-actualization ( Need for achieving one’s own dream – Need for
achieving one’s own full potential)
Maslow’s Need Hierarchy theory
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in
psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often
depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramidNeeds lower down
in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to
needs higher up.
1.Psychological needs: These include need for air, water, food and many
others. These are the most basic needs and must be satisfied. Satisfaction
of such needs is essential for maintaining human life.
2.Security needs: These include physical safety against danger, economic
security against old age people. A person wants shelter, clothing. These
provide freedom from fear. An employer can satisfy safety security needs
of his employees by offering job security, gratuity, pension.
Maslow’s Need Hierarchy theory

3. Social needs: Man is social in nature. He needs love, affection, a

sense of belonging, friendship etc. Organizations can satisfy these needs
by encouraging team building.
4.Esteem needs: These include self esteem and esteem of others. Self-
esteem means self -confidence. Esteem of others means power, prestige,
independence and recognition from others.
5. Self-actualisation needs:  Self-actualisation needs refer to need to
grow and self fulfillment. They are psychological and infinite since
there is no limit to progress.
Maslow’s Need Hierarchy theory
Hertzberg two factor theory

• Fredrick Hertzberg classified the needs into two broad categories

namely hygiene factors and motivating factors.
Hertzberg’s two factor theory
• Hygiene factors are needed to make sure that an employee is not
dissatisfied.
• Motivation factors are needed for ensuring employee's satisfaction
and employee’s motivation for higher performance.
• Mere presence of hygiene factors does not guarantee  motivation, and
presence of motivation factors in the absence of hygiene factors also
does not work.
 Alderfers ERG Theory
• Alderfer’s ERG theory of motivation Clayton Alderfer developed
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs into a three factor model of
motivation know as the ERG model.
• In this model the letter E, R, & G each stand for a different
human need: existence, relatedness and growth.
 Alderfers ERG Theory
a. Existence Needs: This need includes basic survival and physiological
needs like air, water, clothing, safety, intimacy, and affection. This equates
to Maslow’s first two levels.
b. Relatedness Needs: This need encompasses social and external esteem,
relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and employers. This need
recognizes the human needs to be seen as a part of a group or family. This
equates to Maslow’s third and fourth levels of motivation pyramid.
c. Growth Needs: Growth needs account for the internal esteem and self-
actualization needs of Maslow. This means to make a person creative and
productive. In a nutshell, this need helps to person to do meaningful tasks.
 McClelland’s Three Needs Theory
• The Three Needs Theory, also known as need theory, is the best-known theory of David
McClelland, a Harvard professor who spent thirty years conducting research on
motivation.
• Each person is motivated by power, affiliation, or achievement. One trait is usually
more dominant, but the others are present in an individual as well.
• If an individual’s predominant motive is power, they are motivated to influence others
and take control. A coach is a good example because it perfectly illustrates the idea of
letting the players (or in this case, employees), do their job while they assess the
situation and make decisions. The players and employees are aware of their
responsibilities and are highly skilled to perform them.
• McClelland found that power-motivated individuals were best suited for leadership
positions within a company. If they were able to effectively delegate tasks in the
workforce, they were often able to be successful leaders.
 McClelland’s Three Needs Theory
• If an individual’s predominant motive is achievement, they are
motivated to do better for the sake of doing so. They hope to exceed
expectations and are pleased when they surpass their peers. These
individuals like challenges and want to be in charge of their success.
• Achievement-oriented individuals will change the situation or the
location if they feel like it is not meeting their needs. The do not like
working in groups because they do not like having limited control over
the outcome. Instead, they prefer to do work where the results are clear
and visible.
• Many entrepreneurs are motivated by achievement. They have the drive
to be successful and this is, in turn, vital to the economy.
 McClelland’s Three Needs Theory
• If an individual’s predominant motive is affiliation, they are essentially
motivated by social connections.
• They are primarily motivated to fit in and please others, and value their
relationships with their peers. These individuals appreciate familiar situations
and are unlikely to leave their work location.
• They also do not like working alone and try to avoid disappointing their
coworkers and managers at all costs.
• Even though affiliation-motivated individuals work well in a team, they are
often not the best employees. They are not motivated to do better as they are
content to stay in their position. There is no drive to improve their employee
status or their personal position, which makes them the least effective workers.
 Conti..
• Need for Achievement (nACH): Personal responsibility, Feedback,
Moderate risk
• Typical behaviors:
• High: Must win at any cost, must be on top, and receive credit.
• Low: Fears failure, avoids responsibility.
• Need for Power (nPOW): Influence, Competitive
• Typical behaviors:
• High: Demands blind loyalty and harmony, does not tolerate disagreement.
• Low: Remains aloof, maintains social distance.
• Need for Affiliation (nAFF): Acceptance and friendship, Cooperative
• Typical behaviors:
• High: Desires control of everyone and everything, exaggerates own position and resources.
• Low: Dependent/subordinate, minimizes own position and resources.
• Source: David McClelland, 1961, The Achieving Society.
Comparison among theories
Adam’s Equity Theory of Motivation
• The Equity Theory of Motivation deals with the way people
compare the value of themselves to others in similar work
situations based on their inputs and outputs.
• The theory assumes that people's motivation in an
organization is based on the desire to be treated equally and
fairly.
Process Theories
Adam’s Equity Theory
• Equity Theory is based on the idea that individuals are
motivated by fairness. In simple terms, equity theory states that
if an individual identifies an inequity between themselves and a
peer, they will adjust the work they do to make the situation fair
in their eyes.
• As an example of equity theory, if an employee learns that a
peer doing exactly the same job as them is earning more
money, then they may choose to do less work, thus creating
fairness in their eyes.
Vroom’s Expectancy Theory
• Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation is a process theory of motivation. It says
that an individual’s motivation is affected by their expectations about the future.

• Specifically, Vroom says that an individual’s motivation is affected by how much they value
any reward associated with an action (Valence), how much they believe that by putting
effort into something they will be able to generate good results (Expectancy) and how
much they believe that generating good results will result in a reward (Instrumentality).

• It’s important to note that rewards could be intrinsic or extrinsic. Extrinsic motivations are
external things such as money and promotion. Intrinsic motivations are internal things
such as a sense of fulfillment and achievement

• M= V*I*E (Motivation is a function of valence, instrumentality and expectancy.)

Conti…
• Valence: How much they value the potential rewards
associated with the specific results or behaviors,
• Expectancy: How much they believe that their additional
effort will help them achieve the target results of behaviors,
and
• Instrumentality: How much they believe the rewards will
actually appear should they achieve the desired outcomes
or behaviors.
Goal Setting theory
• Goal-setting theory is a theory based on the idea that setting specific and measurable
goals is more effective than setting unclear goals. Edwin A. Locke developed this theory
in 1968.

• Goal-setting theory is an employee-engagement tactic that involves setting specific and

measurable goals to improve productivity. By incorporating the goal-setting theory into
the workplace, you can both improve employee performance as well as bolster employee
engagement.

• Locke emphasized the fact that employees work well when they are faced with
challenging goals. Tackling these more difficult goals forces employees to work hard and
develop their skills, and, as a result, receive positive feedback and an overall sense of
achievement. This, in turn, may result in improved employee engagement, productivity
and satisfaction in the workplace.
Goal Setting theory
• According to Locke's goal-setting theory, there are five main principles of setting effective goals:
1. Clarity: Goals must be clear and specific. When employees understand project objectives and
deadlines, there is much less risk for misunderstandings.
2. Challenge: Goals should be sufficiently challenging to keep employees engaged and focused while
performing the tasks needed to reach each goal. Goals that are too tedious or easy have a demotivating
effect and will, therefore, result in less achievement satisfaction.
3. Commitment: Employees need to understand and support the goal they are being assigned from the
beginning. If employees don't feel committed to the goal, they are less likely to enjoy the process and
ultimately achieve the goal.
4. Feedback: Feedback is an important component of the goal-setting theory. Regular feedback should be
provided throughout the goal-achieving process to ensure tasks stay on track to reach the goal.
5. Task complexity: Goals should be broken down into smaller goals. Once each smaller goal is reached,
a review should be performed to update the employee on the overall progress towards the larger goal.
Reinforcement theory
• Reinforcement theory is based on work done by B. F. Skinner in the field of operant conditioning. The theory
relies on four primary inputs, or aspects of operant conditioning, from the external environment. These four
inputs are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative
punishment.
• Positive reinforcement attempts to increase the frequency of a behavior by rewarding that behavior. For
example, if an employee identifies a new market opportunity that creates profit, an organization may give her
a bonus. This will positively reinforce the desired behavior.
• Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, attempts to increase the frequency of a behavior by
removing something the individual doesn’t like. For example, an employee demonstrates a strong work ethic
and wraps up a few projects faster than expected. This employee happens to have a long commute. The
manager tells the employee to go ahead and work from home for a few days, considering how much progress
she has made. This is an example of removing a negative stimulus as way of reinforcing a behavior.
• Positive punishment is conditioning at its most straightforward: identifying a negative behavior and providing
an adverse stimulus to discourage future occurrences. A simple example would be suspending an employee
for inappropriate behavior.
• Negative punishment entails the removal or withholding of something in order to condition a response. For
example, Nicole, an employee in the IT department prefers to work unconventional hours, from 10:30 a.m.
to 7 p.m. However, her performance has been suffering lately. A negative punishment would be to revoke
her right to keep the preferred schedule until performance improves.
Douglas Mc Gregor Theory X and Theory Y
• Douglas McGregor formulated two distinct views of human being based on
participation of workers. The first is basically negative, labelled as Theory
X, and the other is basically positive, labelled as Theory Y. Both kinds of
people exist. Based on their nature they need to be managed accordingly.
• Theory X:  The traditional view of the work force holds that workers
are inherently lazy, self-centred, and lacking ambition.  Therefore,
an appropriate management style is strong, top-down control.
• Theory Y:  This view postulates that workers are inherently
motivated and eager to accept responsibility.  An appropriate
management style is to focus on creating a productive work
environment coupled with positive rewards and reinforcement.
Douglas Mc Gregor Theory X and Theory Y
• Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human work motivation
and management. They were created by Douglas McGregor
while he was working at the MIT Sloan School of Management
in the 1950s, and developed further in the 1960s
Mc Gregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
Leadership

• Leadership is the ability to inspire a team to achieve a certain goal.

• The true leadership definition is to influence, inspire and help others become their best selves,
building their skills and achieving goals along the way.
• You don’t have to be a CEO, manager or even a team lead to be a leader. Leadership is a set of
skills – and a certain psychology – that anyone can master.
• Leadership styles-
• Transactional leader- A transactional leadership style follows a managerial philosophy of
reinforcement and exchanges, managing employees by establishing specific goals and then
offering a reward for achieving them. That’s the “transaction” in transactional leadership. Effective
transactional leaders recognize and reward a follower’s accomplishments in a timely way.
• Transformational leader- The transformational leadership style is grounded in four components,
commonly referred to as the four “I’s” of transformational leadership:
• Intellectual Stimulation: encouraging new experiences and ways of thinking for themselves and employees
• Individual Consideration: mentoring employees and supporting their professional development
• Inspirational Motivation: imparting a vision for an organization that employees internalize and make their own
• Idealized Influence: serving as role models for how they expect employees to conduct themselves
 The importance of organizational leadership is as follows-

• Improves employee morale and boosts his level of motivation by offering financial and non-financial incentives
• It induces a change in an organization in a smooth manner without a lot of discontent and resistance
• Explains the role and responsibilities of the employees in a clear and precise way. It resolves complaints and gives them
their due by acknowledging their efforts and performances
• It assist in initiating action as it helps to communicate the policies, vision and mission of an organization to the
employees
• Acts as a guiding force that supervises the work of the employees and provides necessary instructions and directives to
achieve the set objectives
• It maintains personal contact with the employees to understand the relevant issues and offer solutions.
• It builds a positive work environment that can enhance growth in the company
• It aligns the personal interest of the workforce with the goals and objectives of the organization to create perfect
coordination
• It assist the company in creating successors that can succeed him shortly

• https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-leader-and-manager/
Difference between Leader and Manager
Relationship between Motivation, Morale
Building and Job satisfaction
• The above mentioned three concepts Motivation, Morale
Building and job satisfaction are interlinked. In real time
scenario when we motivate our employees their morale will go
up, their sense of belongingness and feel of ownership will
improve and that will result in job satisfaction, better job
performance and increased efficiency.
• As a manager we need to concentrate on creating enthusiasm,
optimism, contentment and feelings of teamwork among our
employees to help your company to flourish.
Relationship between Motivation, Morale
Building and Job satisfaction
• Employee commitment is enhanced when an employee feels
motivated and satisfied at his job.
• The link between motivation and satisfaction is, therefore,
illustrated by the commitment a worker shows toward his
company. Therefore, motivation plus job satisfaction equals
commitment.
• Motivation + Job Satisfaction = Employee Commitment
( Employee stays committed and loyal to the organization)
• Employee commitment is enhanced when an employee feels
motivated and satisfied at his job. The link between motivation
and satisfaction is, therefore, illustrated by the commitment a
worker shows toward his company
Effective Communication Skills for Directing /
Managing
1. Listening Skills ( Problems, Feedback, Complaints, Suggestions)
2. Speaking / Communication Skills
3. Complimenting ( More than pay people want to praised for their
good work)
4. Delegating tasks clearity ( Clarity of though and Clarity of
Speech- Assign tasks clearly without any ambiguity)
5. Managing meetings effectively (Time & Information)
6. Positive verbal and non verbal communication ( Speak and
present yourself positively)
Barriers to effective communication
• Inability to listen to others ( Being Impatient / Impolite)
• Disinterest / Dissatisfied in one’s job
• Lack of transparency and trust
• Communication style ( How you speak is more important than what
you speak)
• Conflicts in work place
• Cultural differences and language
To Know more : https://drexel.edu/goodwin/professional-studies-
blog/overview/2018/July/6-barriers-to-effective-communication/